Rowan lifted an eyebrow, then reached for his pants to adjust himself. I couldn’t help following his movements, noticing the stiff shaft tenting his dress pants. “If you say so, Goldilocks.”
Chapter 14
Rowan Rafferty catches feelings
Kendra was savedfrom answering by the arrival of that douche-nozzle and the woman he suckered into marrying him.
“Yoo-hoo! Anybody home?” True’s voice rang out cheerily as she stepped into the main lounge of Kendra’s houseboat. The sharp tap of her heels against the wooden floor reverberated in the cozy space. She looked at Kendra and me—still standing close from our earlier moment—and smiled, a sly, knowing smile. “Oh, my. I think we need to come back later!”
Jesse pressed in through the door behind her, his sharp and overpowering cologne filling the air before he did. “Why would we need to do that?”
Fucking clueless wanker.
“Hey, Jesse.” Ever the gracious host, Kendra stepped to the entrance, her voice as smooth and warm as the pinks and golds of sunset set her hair ablaze like the halo of a goddess. “True. Would you like some—” She glanced at me, her brows lifting slightly.
“Wine,” I supplied, my voice tight. “We have two types of wine.”
“Wine,” Kendra repeated with a nod. “Who wants wine?”
Everyone wanted wine, of course. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife, and wine was as good a distraction as any. I busied myself filling glasses, thankful for the excuse to turn my back on the group. My raging hard-on from earlier was subsiding. Jesse’s grating laugh—the fake, performative kind that worked my last good nerve—was the perfect kryptonite for desire.
He laughed at everything Kendra said, leaning closer to her with every chuckle, while True, his fiancée, sat quietly to the side. It was infuriating. My gut twisted with the certainty that Jesse only wanted Kendra because someone else supposedly had her now. But that fucker should’ve done something about it before she met me.
I shook myself, forcing my thoughts away from the possessive edge creeping in.Get your head in the game.Stop pretending things will go anywhere with Kendra. She’s still hung up on him.
Except she wasn’t so hung up on him when she was in my arms moments ago. The memory of her soft gasp, her fingers clutching at my shirt, came rushing back and, with it, a fresh wave of heat.
Damn. Now, I needed another minute.
“Rowan?” Kendra called from behind me, her voice soft, almost hesitant. “Need help with the wine?”
I shook my head and turned, balancing a tray full of glasses. “Nope. Got it.”
I passed out glasses, careful not to meet her eyes, and was about to raise my glass when Jesse beat me to it.
“I’d like to propose a toast,” he declared, lifting his glass high. His grin was wide and smug, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “To old friends and new.”
Kendra smiled at him, the kind of smile that could light up a room. But instead of jealousy, what I felt was worse—an ache inmy chest, a yearning to be the one who earned that smile. “To old friends,” she echoed, clinking her glass against his. Then, she turned to True, quickly extending her warm smile. “And new.”
I bit back a smile. That was Kendra—always gracious, even when she had every reason not to be. Even though this other woman supposedly stole her soulmate, Kendra made her feel welcome. My heart swelled. She saw the best in people, even when they didn’t deserve it. Maybe, just maybe, she’d see the best in me someday.
“So, Rafferty.” Jesse clinked his glass against mine, nearly sloshing red wine onto the floor. His voice was sharp like he was trying to assert dominance. “Have you heard about Bitcoin?”
Long after the sunset and the night was pitch dark, we sat around a table of empty plates and wine bottles. The mood inside the houseboat was warm and light—or at least for everyone else. True and Jesse told the story of how they met, and Kendra’s genuine laughter rang through the room.
“I think the romance book did it,” True chuckled, sipping her wine.
“Romance book?” Kendra turned to Jesse, her brows arching in surprise. “When did you start reading romance books?”
He fake-smiled, the kind of self-satisfied smirk that made my teeth clench. “You convinced me to give them a try. And there’s something—helpful—about them.”
“Oh,” Kendra laughed. “You read the dirty parts.”
“He does,” True admitted, her eyes sparkling as she giggled. “I thought he was being sensitive, but I think he’s picking up sexy time tips.”
“Tips,” Kendra repeated, dissolving into laughter. “You saidtips.”
The two women laughed until tears streamed down their cheeks. I stood, my chest tightening with fondness and frustration, and began clearing plates.
